Thursday, July 16, 2015

Kudos to Equality Toledo for this. It is called striking back at those who would deny the lgbt community our constitutional rights:

Nearly 30 public officials signed a
petition, released today, calling on Toledo Municipal Court Judge. C.
Allen McConnell to “fulfill the duty of his elected position” after he
refused to marry a same-sex couple last week.

The signatures, collected by Equality Toledo, include several Toledo
City Council members, all three Lucas County Commissioners, and former
Mayor Mike Bell. Equality Toledo plans to post the petition on social
media.

“We are disappointed that Judge Allen McConnell has refused to
fulfill the duty of his elected position,” the statement reads in part.
“If he does not agree with the laws of the United States of America, he
is free to work to change them — either as a citizen or as a member of a
legislative body. But as judge, he has absolutely no discretion — he
must apply and follow the law, including the ones with which he does not
agree.”

. . . Judge McConnell refused to marry a
same-sex couple July 6 when the two came to his duties court. He
released a statement the next day saying his “personal and Christian
beliefs” prevented him from performing the marriage. The Toledo women
were married by Toledo Municipal Court Judge William Connelly, Jr. later
that afternoon.

The irony of the entire situation is that the Family Research Council added in its two cents before the petition, exploiting the fact that the judge is an African-American as if to imply racism on behalf of those wanting McConnell to do his job:

The African American judge, who says the civil rights struggle is what "inspired his career,"
explained, "On Monday, July 6, I declined to marry a non-traditional
couple during my duties assignment. The declination was based upon my
personal and Christian beliefs established over many years. I apologize
to the couple for the delay they experienced and wish them the best." As Alliance Defending Freedom pointed out, "The ability of the couple
to find someone to solemnize their ceremony in 45 minutes illustrates
that there is no substantial government interest in forcing this judge
to violate his sincerely held beliefs." Yet, liberal activists -- the
same ones who insisted the country could find common ground between
marriage and religious liberty -- will accept nothing less than complete
capitulation on faith. If that means trampling a man's sincerely-held
beliefs, so be it.

Whatever. Since when does the Family Research Council actually give a #@^!# about issues affecting the African-American community? Just like Mike Huckabee, FRC only supposedly plays "defense" for black people when they want to pit them against the lgbt community.

In a presentation titled "Dealing With Media," conservative author and right-wing activist Jason Mattera suggested that the key to winning public opinion was to invert the dominant media narrative about LGBT equality by decrying LGBT activists as intolerant bullies while painting religious conservatives as the real victims in the culture war.
Leftists are "the most intolerant, bigoted people on the planet. And that is, they want Christianity purged from the public square," Mattera declared. He urged his audience to portray the fight for LGBT equality as intolerant when talking to reporters or appearing on TV: "Why do they hate diversity? Why do they hate tolerance? I'm for a multiplicity of viewpoints. Isn't that what America is about? Why does that person want to compel me to do something I don't want? What is it about fascism that appeals to them?"
That "flip the script" tactic -- essentially calling LGBT activists bullies -- has been widely successful in influencing conservative media coverage of the fight for LGBT equality in recent years. Stories about anti-gay bakers and florists who are fined for refusing service to gay customers have helped motivate the recent wave of "religious freedom" laws and gin up opposition to non-discrimination efforts that protect LGBT people.

If you missed Caitlyn Jenner receiving the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYs last night, you missed an awesome moment. It was wonderful how she used her moment to talk about the problems the transgender community faces, particularly the plight of transgender children.

About Me

Alvin McEwen is 46-year-old African-American gay man who resides in Columbia, SC.
McEwen's blog, Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters, and writings have been mentioned by Americablog.com, Goodasyou.org, People for the American Way, PageOneQ.com, The Washington Post, Raw Story, The Advocate, Media Matters for America, Crooksandliars.com, Thinkprogress.org, Andrew Sullivan's Daily Dish, Melissa Harris-Perry, The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell, Newsweek, The Daily Beast, The Washington Blade, and Foxnews.com.
In addition, he is also a past contributor to Pam's House Blend,Justice For All, LGBTQ Nation, and Alternet.org. He is a present contributor to the Daily Kos and the Huffington Post,
He is the 2007 recipient of the Harriet Daniels Hancock Volunteer of the Year Award and the 2010 recipient of the Order of the Pink Palmetto from the SC Pride Movement as well as the 2009 recipient of the Audre Lorde/James Baldwin Civil Rights Activist Award from SC Black Pride. In addition, he is a three-time nominee of the Ed Madden Media Advocacy Award from SC Pride.